His Holiness Kyabjé Trulshik Rinpoche Ngawang Chökyi Lodrö, head of the Nyingma order, entered parinirvana on September 2 and remained in thukdam until September 5 at Thupten Chöling, his monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal. The public will begin to pay respect to his memory on September 6.

The Central Tibetan Administration has mourned the demise of His Eminence Kyabje Trulshig Rinpoche, head of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, describing his passing away as a loss to the Tibetan Buddhism. He passed away at the age of 88 on 2nd September 2011 at 8:30 am.

As a mark of respect for one of the greatest teachers of our times, Kyabjé Trulshik Rinpoche, and to pray for his quick rebirth, Kyabjé Thrangu Rinpoche and Sangha members of Thrangu Monastery Canada will be performing Monlam and Lamp Offering prayers on Tuesday, September 6, 2011, at 7pm.

Kyabje Trulshik Ngawang Chokyi Lodro was born in 1923, in Yardrok Taklung, in central Tibet. He was recognised as a youth to be the reincarnation of Trulshik Dongak Lingpa. His first master was Dzatrul Dorje Chang, who was one of the three main disciples of Trulshik Dongak Lingpa.

His first master was Dzatrul Dorje Chang, who was one of the three main disciples of Trulshik Dongak Lingpa. One day, Dzatrul Dorje Chang, after the passing away of his guru, witnessed two flying sparks which he perceived to be coming from the Copper Colored Mountain. One landed in a village near the seat of his master and the other one landed in his very own lap. The obvious meaningto him was that there would be two incarnations of Trulshik Dongak Lingpa. One would be found in that village and the other would be found by him and would be under his care. This is what transpired.

The spark in the village became extinguished after only a short time, unlike the spark that came to him. Later, he understood that this was a foreshadowing that indicated that the incarnation in the village would not live long, because that is how things took place. Whereas, the incarnation which came to his care, that of Trulshik Rinpoche, had a long life, indicated by the bright, long-lasting light of the direct message from the Copper Colored Mountain. Indeed, thismessage was pure joy, corresponding to the pure joy of the living Trulshik, who is still with us. Kyabje Trulshik approached the greatest masters of his time and received a complete traditional education. Kyabje Trulshik stayed with his disciples in a remote place to the south of Everest.

Seventeen of Trulshig Rinpoche's previous incarnations were in Tibet, including Rechungpa. Rechungpa, was one of the main disciples of the great poet and mystic, Milarepa. Trulshig Rinpoche, also appeared as Lalung Palgi Dorje, who ended the reign of terror of the evil king, Langdarma. Langdarma, systematically killed all religious practitioners in Tibet. Lalung Palgi Dorje performed the Black Hat dance for the king, concealing an arrow in the wide sleeve of hisrobe. Out of compassion, both for the victims and for the king, who in future incarnations would suffer the pain he now inflicted on others, the monk drew the hidden arrow from his sleeve and killed the king.

H.H. Trulshig Rinpoche studied at Dza Rong Phu with Ngawang Tenzing, and took novice vows at the age of 10. When he was 19, his beloved teacher died, and following his wishes, Trulshig Rinpoche took his place as Khenpo (abbot) of Dza-Rong-Phu Monastery. Shortly after, he went to Mindroling College for furtherteachings.

He took Gelung vows with Chung Ngawang Chodar Rinpoche andKyentse Norbu Rinpoche, who were his two main teachers at Mindroling. He also studied with 34 different Lamas, including Mindroling Dechen Choenzing, learning many aspects of Buddhist scriptures and practice.

Later, he studied in Lhasa, and took teachings from Chusep Jetsun Rinpoche, a famous female Lama, and Dudzom Rinpoche, the late head of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. He studied with Dzongsar Kyentse Rinpoche, Dilgo Kyentse Rinpoche, and His Holiness The Dalai Lama.

In 1959, when the Dalai Lama fled from the Chinese occupation of Tibet, Trulshig inpoche also fled south across the Himalaya, into the Everest region of Nepal. He stayed at the monastery in Thame for one year, then moved to Chiwong Monastery for 5 years. He later established a monastery at Sengye Puhk (the lion cave), above Thupten Choling, on the lower slopes of Shyorung Yul Lha. Later still, he and his followers established the monastery of Thupten Choling, now the largest monastery in Nepal, with 150 monks and 350 nuns studying and meditating there.

Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche, head of the Nyingma school and one of the closest and dearest student and friend of Kyabje DIlgo Khyentse Rinpoche, passed away last Friday, in his house in Sitapaila, Kathmandu. Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche will arrive today in Kathmandu to pay respects and attend the ceremonies, together with Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche. Rabjam Rinpoche suggests to Kyabje Rinpoche's stu...dents and the students of the lineage, to practice Vajrasattva to purify the samaya and Guru Yoga to receive his blessings. At Shechen Monastery, the whole community will practice Vajrasattva for seven days until Friday 9th and then they will practice it every Friday until the 49th day.

Kyabje Rinpoche's Labrang announced that the public will be able to go and pay respects from September 12th onwards. They are asking to please disregard any other messages you may have read anywhere else that suggested that the public could come to visit from the sixth of September. The monastery will make a clear announcement about the schedule in the next few days.

Our teachers have reminded us that the days and weeks to come are an important moment for all Rinpoche's disciples. This is the time to practise as much as possible, to think of Rinpoche and to mingle our minds with his.

It is recommended that we continue with our own daily practise. Everybody who is free is invited to attend the practise of The Shower of Blessings, which will be performed daily beginning at 18h30 at Chanteloube, from the 7 September (the 10th of the Tibetan month).

Those who wish to pay their respects to Kyabje Rinpoche's relics may do so after the 12 September. Rinpoche's relics will be kept in the monastery of Sitapaila for one year.

We have the precious opportunity to make a connection to the cermonies being held by contributing to some of the offerings being made at this time ( for tsok, prayer ceremonies, lamps, etc.) both in France and Nepal. To participate you can send us your contribution.

Kindly forward the information to anybody who is interested and may not be on our emailing list.from../www.chanteloube.asso.fr

I remember so well HH's teaching at the Armenian Hall in NYC in late September. He started his actual talk with the statement {I've been asked to teach on the nature of mind.}* "Actually, on the nature of mind, there's not much to say." And then HH taught for over an hour. I'll see if I can find that in my notes.

He also gave a Shakyamuni Buddha empowerment that was not scheduled on the flyers and asked us all to observe Shakyamuni Buddha days.

* not an explicit aural memory but the gist - the quotes are an explicit aural memory of the translation given by Ven. Matthieu Ricard

I am sure people who have received his teaching must know how rinpoche emphasized on the importance of praying to Buddha Shakyamuni. He said this almost everywhere, and gave at least LUNG of Shakyamuni's mantra often.

I watched and listened to him in a distant teaching many years ago. He said: in Gelug, they do Je Dzongkapa guru offering, in Sakya, they practice Jetsun Gonma; in Nyingma, people practice Padmasambhava... but as Buddhists, it would be strange that you don't practice Buddha Shakyamuni at all.At that time, Rinpoche was sitting on the throne, wearing the deep yellow monk robe, which is said by Buddha himself 'the victory banner of my teaching', I suddenly awared the word Buddha said: 'don't be sad, in the later age, I will emenate in the form of spiritual teachers'. I was so touched and blessed even when we were in different countries.

Now I need to confess that I was too silly and lazy, I thought rinpoche will wait for me until he's 120 years old, and I didn't practice hard enough all these years. But I guess since Rinpoche could have blessed me when we were at two sides of the planet, now he is beyond the flesh body, his wisdom mind is just around and also in me? As a Nyingmapa, for me, he is Khenpo Bodhisato, he is gyalwa Longchenpa; as a Buddhist, I pray to him like pray to Buddha Shakyamuni. Buddha said, for those who have faith, Sugata is in front of them. With this in mind, I pray to thee, my dear guru.

"I immediately went to pay homage to my beloved Guru who has not been very well for quite a while. When he met me, he literally jumped with joy and was so thrilled to meet me. I had not been seeing him as I was afraid to disturb his peace. Of course, we do not need to connect physically, we have our own ways to communicate. But seeing him in his physical presence really moved me, especially he was thanking me for doing a great job, before I could even tell him that I was in a retreat."

It goes beyond the Vulcan mind meld as he explains in the first two paragraphs about guru yoga. He was guided in a similar fashion by Dudjom Rinpoche before meeting him for the first time and also afterwards. Gyalwa Drukpa Rinpoche is a very realized being.